On St. Elmo, a coastal Mediterranean restaurant and lounge, is on track to open this fall with the aim of bringing more nightlife to downtown Bethesda, according to owner Michael Romeo.
The space at 4915 St. Elmo Ave., which will be a fusion of a restaurant, lounge and entertainment venue, is named after the street where it’s located and will take over the former home of Tapp’d, which closed in 2019.
Romeo says his goal is to open the restaurant between the end of September and the middle of October.
“I grew up here in the area and I feel like there’s nothing fun here anymore,” Romeo, 49, told MoCo360 on Wednesday. “There’s nothing to do, especially if you’re 30 and up. There’s like no place you can go dancing, listen to live bands, have good food, a nice environment where people are chit-chatting with each other.”
Romeo, who grew up in Rockville and now lives in Bethesda, is a former owner of several bars and nightclubs in Washington, D.C., that are now closed such as Fur Night Club and Lotus Lounge. He told MoCo360 that he has been working for more than two years to bring On St. Elmo to life and is looking forward to starting a new chapter in Bethesda.
“It’s very special for me,” Romeo said of opening a venue in a community near where he grew up. “I love where I live. I never moved to D.C. No matter how many businesses – I had 9 businesses there – I never moved there.”

Romeo envisions the 7,800-square-foot space as a nightlife destination for Bethesda residents and others looking for a mix of late-night food and entertainment. The new spot is expected to offer live bands, jazz performers, dancers and burlesque shows, he said.
Scheduled to be open from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. from Tuesday to Saturday, On St. Elmo plans to offer patrons three different menus depending on the time of day, with a siesta menu available from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., dinner options from 5 to 10:30 p.m. and a late-night menu from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., according to the restaurant’s website.
During siesta, guests can munch on snacks such as suppli ($9), a fried Italian rice ball with melted mozzarella inside; a charcuterie board ($27); and pizza or paninis (from $15 to $19).
On the dinner menu are appetizers including whipped ricotta with Calabrian chili oil and poached plums ($15), small plates of charred Brussels sprouts ($16) and patatas bravas ($14), as well as larger plates of whole roasted Branzino ($42), cacio e pepe pasta ($22), prosciutto and arugula pizza ($18) and several dessert options such as a sweet corn ice cream coupe ($14).
During the late-night hours, pizza will be available by the slice ($5) as well as an ice cream cookie sandwich ($5).
Behind the cuisine at On St. Elmo is Bryant Haren, who has worked in kitchens in Washington, D.C., such as Del Mar in the Wharf neighborhood and Gravitas in Ivy City, according to the On St. Elmo website.

Romeo said that as he grew older, he began to realize that his friends in their 30s through 60s didn’t want to travel to the district for a night out. By opening his restaurant closer to home, Romeo hopes On St. Elmo will pump life into downtown Bethesda’s late-night scene and bring in other businesses.
During the first few months after opening, On St. Elmo will operate as a restaurant and lounge and then slowly start offering entertainment, according to Romeo.
In addition to entertainment, the venue will have a 50-seat bar, two private event spaces and high-definition TV screens placed so customers can watch performances from wherever they are sitting, eating or drinking, according to Romeo.
“I want people to hang out. If they want to dance, [they can] dance. There is something for everyone,” Romeo said.